Volume 27,
®{je Centre gentorraf.
IS PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
J. J, BRISBIN.
OJJice in Reynold*' Iron Front, Second Floor.
TKRMS. — SI,SO if paid in advance or within six
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ably be charged. No subscriptions received for
v shorter period than six months and none dis
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Scott and the Veteran.
BY BAYAP.O TATLOR.
An old and crippled veteran to the War Depart
ment came;
lie sought the Chief who led him, on many a
field of fame—
The Chief who shouted 4 Forward !' where'er his
b nuerrose.
And bore its stars in triumph behind the flying
ices.
"Rare you forgotten, General," the battered sol
dcs cried, - '
" The days of eighteen hundred twelre, wfcsn I
was at your side ?
Have you forgotten Johnson, who fought at Lun
dy's Lane?
'Tis tru'e I'm old and pensioned, but I want to
figlit again."
" Have I forgotten ?" said the Chief: "my brave
old soldier, No !
And lure's the band I gave you then, and lot it
tell you so:
Eut you have done your share, my friend ; you're
crippled, old and gray,
And webave need of younger arm? and fresher
blood to-day."
" Rut, General!" cried the veteran—a flush upon
his brow —
" The very men who fought with us, they say,
are traitors now :
Thc've tern the flog of Lundy's Lane—our old
red, white an 1 blue—.
And while a drop of blood is left, I'll show that
drop is trua.
" I'm not so weak but I can strike, and I've a good
old gun,
To get the range of traitors' heart;, and priok
them, one by one ;
Your' Minie rifl?3 and -erich arinß it ain't worth
while to try:
I couldn't get the hong 'o them, but I'll keep my
powder dry !"
" God b!es3 you,comrade !" said the Chief—"God
bless yousGoyal heart !
Hut younger men are in the field, and elaim to
have their part;
They'll plant our sacred banner in each rebellious
town,
And woe henceforth, to any hand that darcß to
pull it doTlu !"
" But, General!"—still persisting, the weeping
veteran cried :
•* I'm young enough to follow, so long as vou'ro
my guide :
And tunic, you know, must bite the dust, aud that
at least, can I ;
Eo, give the vourg ones place to fight, hut me a
place to die!
" If they sh u'd fire on I'ickeDS, let the Colonel
in command :
Put me upon the rampart, with the flagstaff in
my hand;
No odds how hot the cannon-smoke, or how the
snells may fly,
I'll hold the Stars and Stripes aloft, ani hold
them till I die !
" I'm ready, General, so you lot a post to me-ba
given
Where Washington can see me, as he looks fiorn
highast Heaven,
And say to Pu nam at Lis side, or, may be, Gen
eral Wayne:
There stands old Billv Johnson, that foight at
Lun' y'e Lane !
'• And when the fight is hottest, before the trait
ors fly-
When shell and bail are screeching, and bursting
in the sky—
If any shot should, hit ma, and 1 vy ma on rav
My soul would go to Washington, and not to Ar
nold's place!"
ARTEMTJS WARD ON THE SOUTH
ERN CONFEDERACY.
TIIE SHOW IS CONFISCATED.
You hev perhaps wundered wharaabouts I
wasfortho.se many dase gone and past.—
Peichans you sposed I'd gone to the Tomb
of Gappy lets, tholdon't what those is.—
It's a poplar noospaper frase.
Listen to my tail, and bo silent that ye
may here:
I've been among the Seseshers, a clarin
my daily peck by tny legitimit perfeshun,
and havn't had no time to weeld tny facile
quill for the " Grate Koinic Paper," if you'll
allow me kote from your troothful advertise
ment.
My success has been skaly, and I likewise
bad a narrer shape of my life. If what I've
been threw is '• Suthern hosspitality," bout
which we have hearn so much, then I feel
bound to obsarve that they made too much
of me. They were altogether too lavish of
ther attenshuns.
I went among the Seseshers with no feel
ings of aunermosity. I went in my per
feshernal capacity. I was actooated by on&
of the most loftiest desires which can swte
the human boozum, viz : to give the peopll
their moneys worth by showen them Saga
shus Beests and Wax Statoots, which I veu
ler to say are or.surpassed by any other
statoots anywheres. I will not call that
man who says my statoots are humbugs a
liar and boss thief, but bring him be 4 me
and I'll wither him with one of my skornful
frowns. .
But to proceed with my tail. In my trav
ils threw the Sonny South, I heard a heap
of talk about Seseshun and bustin up the
Unim, but I didn't think it amounted to
nothm. The politicians in all the villages
was swarin that Old Abe (sometimes called
the Praliayrie flower) shouldn't never be
noggerated. They al>o made fools of them
selves in varis ways, but as they was used
to that I didn't lit werry me much, and the
Stars and Stripes continnered to wave over
my little tent. Moor over, I was a Son of
Malty, and a member of several other Tem
perance societies, and wife she was a dawter
of Malty, an I spose these fax would secoor
me the inflnoenz and pertoction of all the
first famerlis. Alas! I was dispinted.—
State arter State seseshed, and it groughed
hotter and hotter for the undersined.—
Things come to a climbmacks in a small
town in Alabamy, where I was peremtorily
% jfamilj lletasgaper —$tWrtr to politics, Semperanct, literature, Science, 5% gtccjjantcs, Agriculture, Cjje Utarhets, Vacation, Amusement, General intelligence, th.,
ordered to hawl down the Stars and Stripes.
A deppytashun of red faced men cum up to
the door of my tent, were I was standin tak
ing money, (the afternoon exhibition had
commensed and my itslyun organist was
jerkin was sule-stirren chimes.)
•' We air cum, Sir," said a millingtary
looking man in a cocked hat. " upon a high
and hoiy mishun. The Suthein eagle is a
screamin threwout this sunny land, proudly
and defiantly screamin, Sir.!"
•• "What's the matter with him ?" sez I,
" don't his vittlea settle well on his stum
mick t"
* " That eagle, sir, will continner to scream
all over this britt tremenjus land !"
" Wal, let him scream. If your eagle
can amuse himself by screamin, let him
went."
The men annoyed me for I aas bizzy mat
in' change.
" We are cum, sir, upon a matter of doo
ty "
" Your right, captm, its every man s
dooty to visit my show," sed I.
" We are cum '•
"And that's the reason you'r here." sez
I larfin one of my silvery larfs. I thawt if
he wanted to goak I'd give hiia sum of my
sparklin' eppygrams.
" Sir, ycr inserlent. The plain question
is, will you hawl down the Star Spangled
Banner and hist the suthern flag ?"
" Nary hist I ."' Those wos my reply.
'• Y'our wax works and beests is confisti
cated, & you air arrested as a spy !"
Sez I, " My fragrant roses of tne southern
clime and blooming daffodils, what's the
price of whisky in this town, and how many
cubic feel of that seductive flooid can you
individooally hold ?"
Thty made no reply to that, but said my
wax figgcrs was confisticated. I asked them
if that was ginerally the style among thieves
in that country, to which they also made no
reply, but sed I was arrested as a spy, and
must go to Montgomery in iruns. They
was by this time jined by a large crowd of
other patriuts, who commenced hollerin,
" Hung the bald-heded aberlitionist, and bust
up his immortal exibishnn ! I was ceased
and tied to a stump, and the crowd went
tor my tent —that water-proof pavillion,
wherein instruction and amoosement had
been so much combined, at 15 cents per
head—and tore it all to pieces. Meanwhile,
dirty-facad boys was throwin stuns and
emly beer bottles at my massive brow, &
takiD other improper libertie.- with my. per
son. Resistance was useless, for a variety
of reasons, which I readily obsarved.
The seseshers confisticated my statoots by
smashin them to attums. They then went
to my money box and confisticated all the
loose change therein contained. They then
went and bust in my cages, letting all the
animals loose, a small but healthy tiger
among the rest. This tiger has an excentric
way of tearing dogs to pieces, and I allers '
sposeJ from his general conduek that he'd
have no hesitation in servin human beins
in the same way if he could git at them.
Excuse me if I was crooil, but I larfed boys
terrusiy when I saw that tiger spring in
among them people. "Go it, my sweet
cuss!" I inardly exclaimed, "I forgive you
for biting off my left tbum. with all my
heart! Rip 'em up like a bully tiger whose
laro has been inwaded by Seseshers !"
I can't say for certain that the tiger seris
ly injured any of them, but as he was seen
a few days after sum miles distant, with a
large and we'll selected assortment of seats
of trousers in his mouth, and as he lookt as
thou he'd bin havin sum vilent exercise. I
raythcr guess ha did. You will therefore
peiceive that they didn't oonfisticate him
very much.
1 was carrid to Montgomery in iruns and
placed in durans vial. The jail vras a or
nery edifiss, but the table was librally sup
plied with Bakiu and Cabbidge. This was
a good variety, for when I didn't hanker af
ter Bakin I could help myself to the Cab
bidge.
1 had nobody to talk to nor notbm to talk
about, howsoever, and I was very lonely,
specially on the first day, so when the jaler
parst my lonely sell, 1 put the" few stray
hairs on the back part of my bed (I'm bald
now, but there was a time when I wore sweet
auburn ringlets) into a dish-heviled a s'ato
as possible, & rollin my eyes like a ruany
yuck, I cridc : " Stay, jaler, stay ! I am not
mad, but soon shall be if you don't bring me
suthin to Taik !" lie brung me sum rioos
papers, for which 1 thanked hitn kindly.
At larst 1 got a interview with Jefferson
Davis, the President of the Southern Con
thieveracy. lie was quite perlite, and axed
me to sit down and state my case. I did it,
when he larfed and sed his gallant wen had
been a little too enthoosiastic in confiscatin
my show.
" Yes," sez I, "they confiscated me too
muchly. I had sum bosses confiscated in
the same way onct, but the confiscaters air
now poundun stun iu the State Prison at
Injinnapylus."
•' Wall, wall. Mister Ward, you air at
liberty to depart: you are friendly to the
South I know. Even now we have many
frens in the North who sympathize with us,
and won't mingle with this fight."
"J. Davis, there's your great mistake. —
Many of us was your sincere friends, and
thought cortin parties among us was fussin
about you and ineddlin with the consarns
intirely too much. Bat J. Davis, the minit
you fire a gun at the piece of-dry goods call
ed the Star Spangled Banner, the North gits
up and rises en massy, in defense of that
banner. Not agin you as mdividooals—not
agin the South even—but to save the flag.—
We should indeed be weak in the knees, un
sound in the heart, milk white in the liver,
and soft in the hed, if we stood quietly by
and saw this glorus Govyment omashed to
pieces either by a furrin or a intestine foe. —
The gentle hearted mother hates to take her
naughty child across her knee but she knows
it is her dooty to do it. So we shall hate to
whip the naughty South, but we must do it
if you don't make back tracks at onct, and
we shall wollup you out of your boots ! J.
Davis, it is my decided opinion that the Son
ny South is makiu a egrejus muttonhed of
herself 1"
''Go on, sir, you're safe enuff. You're too
small powder for me !" sed the President of
the Southern Conthieveracy.
" Wait till Igo home and start out the
Baldinsville Mounted Hoss Cavalry ! I'm
Capting of that corpse, and J. Davis, be
ware 1 Jefferson D., I now leave you !
Farewell, my gay saler boy ! Good bye, my
bold buccaneer! Pirut of the deep blue sea.
"WE STAND UPON THE IMMUTABLE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE—NO EARTHLY POWER SHALL DRIVE US FROM OUR POSITION."
Bellefonte. Centre County, Penna., Thursday Morning, June 13 1861.
adoo .' adoo !"
My tower threw the Southern Conthieve
racy on my wav home was thrillin enuff for
yeller covers. It will form the subjeck of
my next.
Betsy Jane and the progeny air well.
Yours respectfully, A. WARD.
[Vanity Fair.
Lieut-General Winlield Scott.
Great purposes are accomplished more by
thoughtful calculation than by large sums of
money or by numerous bodies of men. One
thoroughly sbrewd and competent financier
has more power in Wall etreet than a couple
of score of ordinary brokers ; one sound and
consistent statesman is the helm of a legisla
tive body ; and one thoroughly accomplished
soldier will do more for the well ordering of
an army than Sftv mediocre generals and
Captains. The world has producod few great
military leaders—men whose etragetic acu
men couldsuceessfully control immensebodieß
of armed 'roops. AH countries and all times
have produced such men. Great occasions
have always found some mighty intellect to
direct them to a wise and successful issue.
No living man more combines all the grand
elements ola successful soldier than our own
Scott. Patriotic withe ut being selfish, brave
without rashness, prudent but never weak,
always cool and collected, be takes in the
whole matter in hand with a calm and a
steady .view, never percipitatirg his plafss,
never fiinehing in the hour of mortal peril.
In times of danger hitherto, be has given
evidence of his perlect generalship, and in
this Lour of the country's trial, no man is
found so suitable to carry out the plans of
the government as their well beloved and
confidently trusted Lieutenant General.
Winfield Scott, the son of a farmer, bv the
name of William Scatt, was born near Peters
burg, Virginia, on the 13th of June, 1788.
lie was the youngest of two sons, and had
three sisters. His father dying when he was
a child, bis mother with a small property
and left witd five children, c.vutrived to get
bim a good education- He ehose the legal
profession, aud was admitted to the bar in
1806, at the ago of twen'v. When the war
of 1812 broke out he applied for and received
a commission "of Captain ol artillery, sod ac
companied General Hull on his inglorious
campaign..
The first battle of our your.g hero was
fought at Qaeenstown Heights, under cam
mmission from Madison as Lieut-Colonel,
with a force of four hundred tr.cn, against a
force of thirteen hundred British, and, al
though defeated, such was the desperate
valor with which he held out against puch
overwhelming odds, that victory seemed rath
er to hover over the American than the Bri
tish flag.
On being exchanged, Scott again repaired
to the ground of Lis former exploits, where
hs wat engaged iu several lesser ac
iiotis. with success, until urid-siimmer, when
he took Fori Erie, and fought the bloody
battles of Lundy's Lane and Chippewa, in
which he exhibited a rare military knowG
elge, and fought with n bravery that insured
success uDder the most fearful circumstan
ces. At Lundy's I.ane he was severely woun
ded, and had to be borße on a litter to Buffa
lo, thenoo to Wiliiamstown, sad afterward
to Geneva. After recovering sufficiently bo
journeyed slowly to Philadelphia, whither he
repaired for further medical aid. Congress
voted him a large gold medal, inscribed with
the names of "Chippewa," and "Niagara,"
and bearing his likeness. The States of
New York and Virginia likewise bestowed a
similar high compliment by votes of thanks
and making him valuable gifts.
After the war General Scott served his
country in several capacities, both as a sold
ier and civilian, and his name has been con
nected with every presidential campaign
since 1828. In 1841 by the death of Gener
al Macomb, be became commander-in-chief
of the Army. Previous to this, ho bad been
sent several times to quell the revolts of some
of our most relentless tribes of Indians, and
was chosen by Jaeksoo as the leader of the
army that was to put down South Carolinan
nulification. He was aUo ordered to Maine,
in 1839, to adjust the difficulties between that
State and the British Government respecting
our ncrth-eaßtern boundary, and his mission
was conducted with skill and wisdom.
The brilliant military career of General
Soott in the late Mexican war not only re
flects the highest glory on his name, as the
ehief who planned and executed all the
movements of tha American army, from the
bombardment of San Juan de Ullca to the
capture of Mexico, but forms ono of tho most
glorious military campaigns on record. It
took the world by surprise, and established
forever the chivalrous courage and military
prowess of our citizen soldiery- Wbn we
consider the fearful odds he bad to encoun
ter, and take into account the fact that he
fought the enemy on his own soil, haying to
oontoad with all the deadly influences of cli
mate, we fsel that we can confidently assert
that it has no parallel in the history of mod
ern warfare.
We have no time tc follow the hero in de
tail throughout that splendid campaign.—
Suffice it to say that under the wall of San
Juan de Ulloa ; in the disposition made of
the oity and castle after the surrender; in
the orderly line of maroh taken up from Vera
Cruz to the capital; in the hereie storming of
Cerro Gordo ; ♦he capture of Jalapa : the tak*
iug of Perote ; the occupation of Puebla ; the
negotiations carried en while the enemy res
ted awhile at this latter place; the battle of
Contreras; tho fall of Sin Aotonia"; the
bloody action of Ckurubusco; tha fight "at
Molino del R9y ; the bombardment and stor
ming of the almost inaccessible Chapultepec;
and the final triumphant entrance iotc the
capital of Mexico; in all these masterpieces
of military executien, the bead and the hand
of the commander-in-chief are seen, and
place him at once among the great successful
military heroes of modern times.
General Scott was now virtually the Gov
ernor of Mexico, and he became sole director
of public affairs. Ilia position was Dovel and
difficult in the extreme. Alone he perform
ed the duties of Commander-in-cheif, Presi
dent of the country, Secretary of the Treas
ury. in no respect did he fail, and in no
respect did he coma short of the highest ex
pectations of his government.
On the establishment of pcice jgknerai
Scott returned in triumph to his home, to re
ceive the congratulations of bis frieuds and
the thsnks of his countrymen.
In 1852, General Scott received the regu
lar nomination of the Whig party for the
office of President of tha United States. He
failed being raised to that high honor, and
his place was filled by the regularly nomina
ted Democratic candidate.
Shortly after this he received the appoint
ment of Lieutenant General of the Army of
the United States, an office just created by
Congress, and which has been filled by no
other. It is the highest military office in the
United States army, and General Scott has
since filled it with the the most eminent
ability.
In 1859, General Scott was sent by tha
government to Washington Territory to ad
just the a fficulties relative to the occupation
of San JUCD Island, in Nuget's sound, a mis
sion which he executed with great sagacity
and success.
Since tha accomplishment of tbio creat
work, Gen. Scott has resided at the Capitol
of his country, actively discharging trie du
ties of'his important office, winning ihe ap
probation of his government, and securing
the good opinion of his fellow ciiizens.
llcre his lifeßeetned passing to a quiet and
peaceful close, emblazoned tviih a halo of
glory. But such was not the Divine ordin.
atioo. The serious troubles which for the
past few months have been unhappily dis
tracting the country, have again called him
to arms and the councils of the nation.—
Here, at the age of seventy-five years, he
shows bim.-eli the great, calm, strong mind
he has ever been in ail important emergen
cies Ilis counsel in the cabinet, and his far
reaching and comprehensive sagacity in the
management of the armies of lbs government
show that the vigor of his intellect has not
abated a jot, and the elasticity and indu
rance of his gigantic frame have not dimiu
iahod under the burden of years.
Stephen A. Douglas.
A BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
lie commenced his career in a cabinet ma
ker's shop, from which he entered several
academies of learning, and having remoyed
to the stale of Illinois when very young, j
whero a year after be was admitted to the i
bar, when Dot yet twenty years of nge, Lie j
was elected by legislature attorney general
of that state. In December, 1835, he was j
elected a member of the legislature of Illinois j
where he commenced that career as a parlia- i
meatarian and debater for which he since ,
became so eminently dis'inguished. In L-37
he received the nomination for Congress, at
a time when he was not yet twenty five
years old, but attained the requisite age be
fore the day of election —and was defeated
by a wh'g candidate by a majority of only
five votes. In 1840, Mr. Douglas was ap
pointed Secretary of the S ate of Illinois, a6 a ;
recogniz'on of the services hp rendered his 1
party during the political snuggles of that:
year. Ia 1841, the legislature elected birj a |
Supreme Judge of that State, which position !
he resigned in 1843 to accept a second nom
ination for Congress, and was elected after
a spirited contest of a small majority. In
1844 he was re-elected, but did not take his
seat, having been in the mean time chosen a
United States Senator by the legislature ot
his state. In the House of Representatives,
Mr. Douglas gained great prominency for
his support of the 54-40 policy of the Polk
administration—his vote and speeches in fa
vor of the annexation of Texas, and other
decided measures of the Democratic admin
istration, then in power. He was chairman
of the Committee of Territories which repor
ted the joint resolution for the admission of
Texas, and after this admission, supported
James K. Polk during the war with Mexico
and all his peculiar zeal and mental might
and power. As chairman on the Committee
of Territories in the House of Representa
tives, and afterwards in the Senate, he re
ported bills for the admission of the territo
ries of Minnesota, Oregon, New Mexico,
Utah, Washington, Kansas and Nebraska,
and also the bills for the admission into the
Union of the states ©f lowa, Wisconsin, Cal
ifornia, Minnesota and Oregon. On the
question of slavery, he opposed the interfer
ence of Congress in the organization of ter
nitories or admission of states, in taking one
side or the other—a doctrine cat of which
grew the agitation in which Mr. Douglas
bore such a conspicuous part, and which has
since divided the Democratic party, and
which led to the repeal of the Missouri Com.
promise. Whatever may be said now. of the
policy of this repeal, it is a fact that Mr-
Douglas remained faithful to it throughout
his life, defending it whenever it was assail
ed or violated.
It is not our purpose to allude to the polit
ical trouble and contentions into which Mr.
Douglas vas forced since 1856, any further
than to declare that be bore himeelf bravely
and nobly in all his encounters. Ho may
have committed wrongs—but they sprang
more from his zeal than irora any purpose to
injure his country, or impair the principles
of good government. He was a partizan of
uncompromising temper in the commence
ment of his career, but lived to modify Lis
feelings in this respect, and within the last
year went so fir as to disregard party lines
in bis defence of what he considered the
safety and the permanency of his govern
ment. During the last Presidential contest,
he vras the candidate of a wing of the Demo
cratic party, and since then has been the ob
ject of the biter hatred and opposi'ion ot the
other wing, or that portion which have been
engaged in the undo y war of dissolving the
American Union.
The Land of the Pine to the Land
of the Palm.
Ra! Southron we're coiniug—you'vo roused us at
last,
And the chains that once bound us together so
fast
Shall clank at yuur feet 'ueath the Palmetto-tree,
Ere your treason shall shatter the " Home of the
1 res."
From the white Hampshire hills where the Bald
Eagles rest,
To the prairie that sweeps through tho land of the
West.
A voice ha 3 awakened our slumbering souls ;
And it gathers iu strength to itselDas it roils.
'Tis the voice of the nation your sin has betrayed ;
In the balance of Justice your treason is weighed :
By the name you dishonor—your time is at hand,
When the cry of the mighty goes up for their land.
Do you think in your vaniry, pride and conceit,
You can force the stern Northern to basely retreat?
Ah ! pause iu your biindaess ! awake from your
sleep
Ere ye iueut us in enmity earnest and deep.
From the "Father of Waters" whose valleys are
wide;
From the great Northern lakes to t,.e Green
Mountain side.
Shall pour down in myriads constant and true,
The men who will stand by the Red, White and
Blue.
That Old Flag shall blind with one gleam of its
stars'
Y'our paltry shortion of prison-house " bars,"
Y'our laws—upon paper ; your forts upon sand ;
In the light of that banner they never oaa stand.
And when ye shall see it float hi h in tho air,
Wirh all its memories vibrating there :
Ah ! your heart will turn back by the Palmetto-tree.
With fealty and truth, to the " Home of the Free."
Willie is a Riileman.
Oh ! Willie is a rifleman,
Noble and brave is he ;
A gallant, dashing rifleman.
And all the world to me.
For I ne'er could love a coward,
Who holds uis life so dear,
That he cannot join the patriot ranks
As a rifle volunteer.
But Willie has a noble heart,
He fears But battle cry ;
Ilu'd proudly bear a gallant part,
Ke'll conquer or he'll die!
Re bravely joins the gallant clan,
And scorns the thought of fear :
So noble is the rifleman,
'ilia gallant voluuteer.
Who Swindles the Soldier.
This is a question that should he answered
with caution, but one which should, never
theless, be decided as soon as the facts can
be ascertained. It is easy to grumble, to
Snd fault and to accuse. It is not, always,
so to decide whether the censure fails
on the guilty parties. Weeertainly Lave no
interest in defending either State or Nation
al Administration, any further than they act
in accordance with the principles for which
we contended when urging the election of the
present governing powers. We are under no
obligations to them other then to commend
their honest aod upright action, and to con„
demn dishonesty, speculation and fraud
whenever it can be fairly proven against any
member of the State or National Adminis
tioD. The " Democratic" party died of its
own inherent corruption. All its party or
gans defended the swindlers, and endeavor
ed to shield the perpetrators of crime because
they were of the party. The Republican or
aDy other party will fall assunder whenever
it neglects to seek out and expose villainy
when perpetrated by any in whom it has
pdaced confidence. We warn our political
friends against any attempt to cover up ini
quity for the eake of party. We do not wish
to beloDg to any association which defends
those who take advantage of great public
calamities, like the present war, to fill tbeir
own pockets. When such a course becomes
Decessary, count us out.
The soldiers of Pennsylvania have been
swindled. This iaevident. Governor Curtin
beiDg at the head of the State government,
falls under censure for this, It ia charged
that the soldiers are poorly fed, which is not ;
nor never has been to any extent, true. The
food furnished them here and elsewhere has
been good, and in sufficient quantities: The
discontent on that head has been greatly ex
aggerated and urged on by the tories, who
seek to create all the discord they can. In-
T estimation in regard to food baa generally
! proved that neither Gov Curtin nor anybody
! else could bejustly blamed on that point.
I 11 is charged that our soldiers are poorly
! clothed that they are destitute, and that
when clothing has been furnished it has been
disgracefully poor in quality. Of the truth
ot this charge there is abundant proof. There
i has been outrageous swindling, by somebody
: in this department —such swindling, and of
I such real disadvantage to our hrnvs soldiers,
as to make the perpetrators ot the fraud as
culpable as the traitors who would send aid
and comfort to the enemies. It is as much
! treason to take comfort from our own soldiers
as to send it to our enemies. No less a fate
: than that of traitors should (ail upou the per
petrators of such wtongg, If Gov. Curtin is
; the caused it, be should oe impeached and
sent adrift. If tie is not the guiby one, the
; clamor of political enemies ar.d suspicious
triends should be silenced by a rigid investi
gation into the matter, aud bringirg the
, guilty parties before the world. Thus far,
we are inclined to the opinion that Gov. Jur
! tin is cot the instrument, knowingly or will
i ingly, of there outrages. Mistakes he may
have made, for no man ever had more crowd
ed upon him, as auexeoutive, than he, in the
first rush of this military excitement. The
confidence he has placed in others may have
been abused—nay, it is evident that it has
been. —but, we rept-a f , the proof has not yet
been presented to show that he has connived at
these abuses. For one, we shall give him the
same right which the most humble citizen
(or alien) has guaranteed to 1 im,—that of
being counted innocent uDtil ha is proved
guilty. This is certainly as much the right
of tha cheif executive of a great State, as of
the beggar it. our streets. Show ua the
proof that he is guilty, and we will no longer \
ask him to be shielded. We now ask for ]
him common justice, and for the guilty par- I
ties, when fairly ascertained, the most oon
digo punishment, as they will have the uni
versal contempt of an outraged community,
and the unrestrained indignation of all Penn
sylvania soldiers.
Now for a fact or two: Early in the ex
tra session of the Legislature, Mr. Armstrong
of Lycoming county, having a just regard
for the comfort of the soldiers from his dis
trict, quartered at Camp Wayne (they be
longing to the Eleventh regiment), introdu
ced areaululion authorizing the Quartermas
ter Genera! (Kale) to procure clothing JI
--mediately, in open market, without waiting
for a contract, uniforms fur rha regiments
stationed at Camp Wayne. Any business
man would have filled the order in a week ;
but, although this resolution passed the first
week in May, and the soldieia left the last
week in May, a portion of them left without
their uniforms, and many of tLem most mis
erable shod. This seeuis olear'y to have
been the neglect or capacity of the Quarter
master's Department. We had beard com
plaints from military officers in regard to the
indifference or neglect, iu this Department,
on previous occasions.
The Uarrisburg Telegraph, of Monday,
contains a letter from E. 11. Raucb, Esq.,
Cheif Clerk o: the House of Representatives,
in which he reveals delinquancies in the same
quarter. As it is impouant, we copy the
whole ot it:
"It is said that at Washington the Pennsyl
vania troops are best known as " The Rag
ged backed Pennsjlvanians." I know that a
number of volunteers now stationed in Mary
land, guarding railroads, although furnished
with new uniforms, are obliged to wear their
long overcoats as substitutes for pantaloons.
As far as I know they have plenty to eat,
and of good quality.
Much has already beer, said in public
prints on this shameful imposition on our
soldiers, and it is quite possible that some
men in authority are blamed who do not
really deserve it. My object is now to state
to the public what I know about the trea'
meßt of the least ono company in Camp Cur
tin.
About uve weeks ago the Irish Infantry ol
Mauch Chunk. —Capt. Dennis McGee—re
ceived orders to march into Camp, which or
der was promptly obeyed. The men conpo
sing said company expected, as they had a
right to expect after reaching camp, that
they would be furnished —within a reasona
ble time—if not with uniforms, at least such
articles as are iudispensible. They waited
patiently from day to day, and from week to
week, receiving very good food and plenty of
it, but not a shoe, shirt or pair of pantaloons
or any other article in that line. Some ol
them had no change of ehirt for five weeks.
During the extra session of the Legislature I
frequently vtoited the company, and felt call
ed upon to give tbem tli© assurance almost
daily that " the powers that be" would; in &
very short time, attend to tbeir wants. I
succeeded in satisfy ing som# of them at least,
that this delay, or apparent neglect was un*
avoidable, and they were willing, most cheer
fully, to suffer a little longer. Yesterday I
again visited this neglected, patient and truly
patriotic company. Some nine or ten were
on drill entirely barefooted. Several could
not appear in the ranks at all for want of
pantaloons, whilst others were in the ranks
with shirts on tkeir banks five weeks without
change 1 They appealed to me, as their
friend, whether this is the kind of treatment
Amerioan soldiers were to put up with ?
They knew that the Legislature promptly
Number 19,
voted millions to organise, clothe, feed and
equip the soldiers, and yet some of them
were almost entirely Dakel ! I plodged my
word that something would be done for them
without further delay. With another friend
of the company I visited the Quarter Master's
department, in the camp', and stated the case,
I waa told thar, as the company was not
formally mustered into service, they cou'd do
nothing for them without an order from
Quarter Master General Ilale, We immsdi*
ately called on him at his department and
stated the oa<e to him. His reply was,
'• Can't do any thing for them sir." I re
minded him nf the fact that they are men
and soldiers, but naked, and insisted that
they Viust have samething to wear. Ha
again replied that as they are not formally
mustered into service, it would be a viola
tion of the rules and regulations to give
them clothing.
I then appealed to him to give me an'or
der for about a dozen pairs of shoes, pants
and shirts, to eupply these who are really al
most naked, at the same time offering to de
posit into his hands a sufficient amount of
money to indemnify him, and thus make my
self responsible, the money to be refunded to
me after the company shall have been for
mally mustered in. This he also declined, be
cause it would be "against their regulation,"
and complicate their accounts. Satisfied
that the Quarter Master General had no in
clination to do anything for these poor but
brave men, I withdrew from his august pres
ence and proceeded down town, where I
bought thirteen pairs of shoes, ten pairs of
pants and ten ebirts. These few articles soou
found their wey to the company, aud wera
properly distributed by Capt. McGee among
the most needy. lam assured that some of
the Harrisburg ladies are about furnishing
this company with additional articles of
clothing. If 'Ley do I know that they will
receive many hearty " God bless you yeY'
from these long neglected suffering fellow
men.
Now, Mr. Editor, who is most responsible
for the scandalous condition of our volun
teers ? According to my experience and ob
servation, it is this Qaurtef Master General
Hale. With a practical business man at the
bead of the department, it does seem to mo
much might be done to supply the wants of
the soldiers. But, aocording to bis interpre
tation of rules and regulations, American
volunteers to lay down their lives if necessa
ry, in defence of xhe freedom we all enjoy,
must go naked, and, I suppose, as far as tb
same functionary is ooncerned, starve, until
some other funtionary may think fit to pro
nounce them " formally mustered into ser
vice."
Such treatment of our volunteers is, to say
the least, disgraceful. According to my
judgement the fault is in the Department of
the Quarter Master General.
E. 11. RAUCB.
GOT. Curtin has sent an agent to Washing*
ton to examine the chtbiDg furnished to our
Boldiers there, and has announced that non
of the bogua shoes and inferior blankets h&v*
been or will be paid for. Let us hopo that
be will aid in bringing the guilty parties to
justice. We have reason to believe that ho
has yielded to the importuning of those call
ing themselves his friends, to appoint eomo
agents who have betrayed his confidence and
disgraced the State and its Governor. Again
we say, let the guilty parties be ferreted cut v
exposed and punished.
P. S. —Since the above was in type we un
derstand that he has appointed a commission
to investigate all the oontracta for supplies
which have been made by the State, since
the present contest commenced, and te make
a foil and faithful repoit upon their term-,
and the manner in which they have be u
complied. It is to consist of Jacob Fry, Jr ,
a prominent Douglas Democrat of Montgom
ery county ; Benjamin Ilaywood, a leadin/
manufacturer and upright citizen of Sohuyl
kill county ; and Charles K. Abbot, a mem
ber of the State Legislature from Pbiladt -
p'.iia, who bas always maintained a high rep
utation. These commissioners are all men
of unimpeachable integrity, and an impar
tial and honest statement may be anticipated
from them.— Chester County Times.
POSITION OF JOHN C- BRECKENIUDCIS.—A
correspondent writes to to the Louisville
Journal, from llopkinsville, Ky., May J,
1861, as follows:
" Breckenridge made an out-and-out dis
union speech here to-day. lie Raid Ken
tucky should uDite with the seceding State*
immediately, that the Union was wholly
broken up; and that he was in heart, and
soul, and wind, and body, with the South.—
He said that the South had never committed
a single wrong against the North ; that Lin
coin had begun the war; that the American
people had never owed any allegiance to the
Federal Government, and that " all ultimate
and paramount allegiance was owing to the in -
dividual Slates," He denounced the Border
Confederacy, and said that armed neutrality
meant Northernism and Abolitiouistn. He
said a yast majority of the Northern people
heartily endorsed the wish for wholesale in
surrection, robbery, and murder in the South'
expressed by the Chicago Tribune. Th-.e is
a correct sketch of the main points of bis
speeoh."
SBWELL'S POINT. —This point about which
considerable interest is now felt, is situated
on the south shore of Hampton Roads, four,
miles from Fort Monroe. If for'ified, i
would command the entrance to Elisabeth
Channel, which lead# to the harbor of Nor
folk.